Cableway system.



PATENTED FEB. 3,' 1903.

No. 719,478. I

P. H; LAMB.

OABLEWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1902.

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No. 719,478, PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903.

F. H. LAMB. GABLEWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1902.

U0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 [NVENTOR UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. LAMB, OF HOQUIAM, WASHINGTON.

CABLEWAY SYSTEM;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,478, dated February3, 1903. Application filed May 21, 1902. Serial No. 108,404. (No model.)

To all? whom, it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. LAMB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hoquiam, in the county of Ohehalis, State of Washing ton,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cableway Systems,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawlugs.

This invention relates to a cableway system, and particularly to aconstruction embodying a haulback-line adapted to return the carriage ortraveler to any desired point and operate the brake thereon.

The invention has for an object to provide a system in which thetraveler or carriage mounted upon a fixed way is supplied with a brakefor engaging and holding the same at any desired point upon the way,which brake is adapted to be automatically operated by a haulback-lineextending from a fixed point through the traveler to a haulingengine,whereby a slackening of the line will set the brake to hold thetraveler, while a tightening of the line will relieve this brake andpermit the traveler to be drawn along the way by the hauling-linecarrying the load.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for returning thishauling-line to a point of use adapted to be operated by the enginethrough the medium of a haulbackline.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a twoline system; Fig. 2, a form oftraveler or carriage for use thereon, and Fig. 3 a modified form of theinvention embodying a three-line system by which a wider field of sidehaul may be accomplished.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

In Fig. 1 the letter Adesignates a tramway which may be a fixed supportor a standing line supported at its opposite ends upon any suitablestandard-for instance, a tree A, as shown-and having the free endsthereof securely fastened. Upon this way a traveler or carriage B ismounted, so that the wheels B thereof travel upon the standing line A.

This traveler may be of any desired construction; butI have shown hereina desirable form specifically claimed in my application filed 5 5 ofeven date herewith, in which a haulback sheave or block B is mounted atone end of a pivoted arm B which carries a rotatable pinion B meshingwith segmental teeth 13, carried by a cam'brake B pivoted in the frameof the traveler, so as to engage the surface of the standing lineA andhold the traveler in any desired position when the block B dropsdownward toward a vertical position by the slackening of thehaulback-line G which passes therethrough. At the opposite side of thetraveler a hauling block or sheave B is supported from the frame of thetraveler through which the hauling-line B passes. The haulback-line O isfastened at one end 0 to any suitable supportfor instance, A, asshown-and passes through the block B thence to a point of fixed supportC as shown, this point being adapted to be changed in position as it maybe desired to return the traveler. Upon the support 0 a block 0 iscarried, through which the haulback-line O passes,and extends thence tothe hauling-engine E, being there wound upon the usual drum E. Thehauling-line D is provided at its free end D with suitable means forattachment to a log or other load to be lifted and passed thence throughthe hauling-block B to a drum E of the engine E. In the operation ofthis two-line system it will be seen that if the haulback-line G beslackened the brake upon the traveler is set and the carriage held atany point while the load is being engaged or disengaged. Thehaulbackline is then tightened sufficient to release the brake and holdit taut while the traveler and load are drawn toward the engine by thehauling-line D until'reaching the position shown by dotted lines in Fig.1, when by slackening the haulback-line the travelerbrake will operateto hold the traveler while the load is disengaged. When it is desired toreturn the traveler from the engine end of the system for another load,the hauling-line D is attached to the haulback-line O at a point 0 belowthe block 13 (see dotted lines, Fig.

l) by any suitable means and the engine operated to feed out thehauling-line and wind in the haulback-line, thus first releasing thebrake and afterward carrying the free end D of the hauling-line from theblock 13 back to the fixed point 0 when the outward travel of thetraveler is stopped and the slack in the haulback-line sets the brake,so that the hauling-line may be attached to another load to be liftedand conveyed. It will be obvious that the block 0 may be changed inposition at any time, so as to return the hauling-line to a desiredpoint, and that this position may extend to either side of the way A fora distance equal to the distance of the traveler from the engine end ofthe way. The hook of the hauling-line is thus automatically returned toany point desired irrespective of the height of the traveler above thatpoint within the distance limitation just recited. This result isaccomplished by the power of the engine alone and at any speed desired,depending upon the gearing of the cableway-engine, so that no handworkis necessary and the difficulty of transporting heavy parts to diiferentpoints for attachment to a load entirely obviated. By means of theautomatic brake operated by the haulback-line the traveler can be heldat any point along the way by simply giving the haulback-line slack fromthe engine, and when it is desired to move the traveler backward theslack of the haulback is likewise taken in to permit this backwardmovement, so that the brake is never applied except when desired andwhen the haulback-line is slackened. In this form of the invention thehaulback-line may be used to return the end of the hauling-line as wellas operating the automatic brake. A special advantage issecured inproviding the haulback-block upon the traveler, whereby the strain uponthe haulback-line is greatly reduced, permitting the use of a lighterline, which in many instances can be waste line utilized from otherportions of the system. Furthermore, the automatic brake prevents themoving of the traveler forward while the load is being hoisted to theway and also prevents any movement of the traveler backward to thecenter of gravity when the haulback and the hauling-line are bothslackened for the purpose of removing the load.

In Fig. 3 a three-lines ystem is shown, in which the tram or cable way Ais mounted at its opposite ends A, as in Fig. 1, and provided with asimilar construction of traveler B. The hauling-line D is also similarto that heretofore shown and extends to a drum F upon a three-drumengine F. The haulbackline G for the traveler is fixed at its end G andextends through the haulback-block D of the traveler, thence through theblock G upon the support A, and thence to a windingdrum 1? of theengine. If desired, this line may be passed between suitableguide-wheels B carried upon a plate B at one side of the traveler, andthe slackening of this haulbackline operates the automatic brake, asheretofore described, while the tightening of the line relieves thebrake. For the purpose of returning the free end D of the hauling-linean auxiliary haulback-line H is provided and at its free end H connectedto the haulingline. It passes thence through a block H mounted upon afixed support, and at its opposite end is wound upon a drum F of theengine, so as to be withdrawn from said drum as the hauling-line isdrawn upward and inward, while a rewinding of the auxiliaryhaulback-line upon the drum returns the free end D of the hauling lineto the block H and also determines the position of the traveler. Thedistance of side or lateral haul under the three-line system is limitedonly by the length of cable used, and it will-be noted that thehaulbackline G controls the automatic brake, while the line H controlsthe return of the hauling-line to any point desired. This arrangement ofthe line G is to reduce the size of the line used, as the strain thereonis the same as upon the hauling-line. By using the haulback-block uponthe traveler the necessary strength of haulback-line is reducedone-half, although a greater length of this line is necessary. It willbe seen, however, that this automatic brake can be operated by otherarrangements of the line G than that herein shown, and under suchcondition the weight of the block and its supporting-arm with asingle-strand haulbackline is sufficient to operate the automatic brakeupon the traveler. The auxiliary haulback-line H may be a small wirerope having one end attached to the hook of the haulingline and itsopposite end to the haulbackdrum. This auxiliary line passes through theblock H which may be located at any point to which it is desired toreturn the hook of the hauling-line. The method of operation is similarto that described for the twoline system, excepting that instead ofattaching the hook of the hauling-line to the outgoing of thehaulback-line the hook is returned by taking in the auxiliaryhaulbackline. When the load is to be lifted and drawn in, the line H isgradually slackened, and as it is independent of the automatic brake ofthe traveler the latter is not affected thereby.

The two-line method can be applied to any outfit now in use, althoughwhen a new outfit is to be constructed and especially designed for thework the three-line system is found desirable. It will also be notedthat this system can be applied to any character of hauling, but for thepurposes of illustration has herein been shown as arranged for aloggingoutfit. In the three-line system the auxiliary line for returningthe end of the hauling-line to where it is wanted to take up its loadmay be suspended from any point'other than from the main supports forthe way, so that it is entirely out of the way, while by an arrangementof friction upon the drum of the auxiliary line it can be automaticallytaken up while the hook is being returned to where it receives its loadand automatically played out when hauling in with the load.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and configuration, as well as in the character of tram orcable way used and the traveler mounted thereon, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a way, a traveler mounted thereon provided with abrake to engage the way, a haulback-block upon said traveler adapted tooperate said brake, and a haulback-line extending through said block foroperating the traveler when taut and setting said brake when slackened;substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a way, a traveler mounted thereon provided with abrake to engage the way, a haulback-block upon said traveler adapted tooperate said brake, and a haulback-line extending from said block foroperating the same and having one end attached to a fixed support andthe other to a hauling-engine; substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a way, a traveler mounted thereon provided with abrake to engage the way, a haulback-block upon said traveler adapted tooperate said brake, a haulback-line extending from said block foroperating the same and having one end attached to a fixed support andthe other to a haulingengine, a hauling-line carried by said traveler,and means for returning the free end of said line to a fixed point;substantially as specified.

4:. The combination of a way, a traveler mounted thereon, a hauling-lineextending through a block carried by said traveler, and a haulback'lineextending from a fixed point adapted to be connected to the hauling-linefor returning the same to said fixed point; substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a way, a traveler mounted thereon, and providedWith a brake to engage said way, a'haulback-block carrying anoperatingarm for said brake, and a haulback-line extending from a fixedpoint through said block to engage the brake with the way when the saidline is slackened and to disengage the brake when the line is taut;substantially as specified.

6. The combination of a way, a traveler mounted thereon and providedwith a brake to engage said Way, a haulback-block carrying anoperating-arm for said brake, a haulback-line extending from a fixedpoint through said block to engage the brake with the way when the saidline is slackened and to disengage the brake when the line is taut, ahauling-block carried by said traveler, and ahauling-line passingthrough said block for the purpose of moving the traveler in onedirection; substantially as specified.

7. The combination of a way, a traveler mounted thereon and providedwith a brake to engage said way, a haulback-block carrying anoperating-arm for said brake, a haulback-line extendingfrom a fixedpoint through said block to engage the brake with the Way when the saidline is slackened and todisengage the brake when the line is taut, ahauling-block carried by said traveler, a haulingline passing throughsaid block for the purpose of moving the traveler in one direction, ahauling-engine, and means extending therefrom to a fixed point forreturning the free end of the hauling-line to said point; substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. LAMB.

Witnesses:

M. LENFESTY, D. R. J ONES.

